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[cncb]

I have a Rosewill IR MCE remote USB receiver hooked up to my Windows 10 MC server that I use to control MC music playback while the PC is locked.  It works fine for a while, and then suddenly stops sending commands to the PC.  I have made sure that the server Device Manager options are set to not power off the "eHome Infrared Receiver".  Any ideas on what to try?  I have second one of these Rosewill receivers and get the same results with both of them.

[JimH]

Batteries?

MC has a setting that asks WMC to step aside.  It's worth a try.

Does the time period coincide with another Windows power setting?

[cncb]

There is a red LED on the receiver that flashes when it receives commands, so it is getting them but just not passing them on.  It doesn't seem to correspond to other Windows Power events, because the PC is locked with the video output off for a while before it stops working (and the PC never goes to sleep). Thanks for the suggestions.

[RoderickGI]

I'm with Jim. The first thing I do when IR commands get dodgy is charge the batteries in my Harmony remote. Usually, that fixes the issue. The Rosewill may be receiving some IR signal, but not be able to interpret it, so doesn't pass anything on.

The "work for a while, the stops working" sounds like classic battery fade after sitting for a while and restoring itself a bit. So try new batteries and see if that fixes it. Perhaps even check the new batteries. With one of my other devices where I had dying batteries I tested by installing "brand new" batteries, which didn't fix the problem. Then I found out my brand new batteries were old and also nearly dead!

If that doesn't work, find an App like WinLIRC, shut down MC, and test whether the IR commands are actually making it to Windows, and for how long. Note that there may be better Apps for observing IR Command receipt in Windows. Eliminating MC as the cause, or not, is the first step to solving IR Command issues.

[cncb]

Thanks, but I'm pretty sure it is not the batteries.  When it stops working, I restart the PC and it works again for several hours.  I have tried Eventghost software also, with the same results so I don't think it is an MC issue.  It seems to be a problem with the MCE remote service.  I used to have a Streamzap remote + receiver that had its own drivers and works with Eventghost so would probably fix my issues, but I gave it to a relative who is no longer using it and now they can't find the receiver .

[RoderickGI]

Okay, well Microsoft is breaking more and more of Windows, particularly the consumer stuff like IR, so it could be just another example of that.

But the PC is locked, and it happens after a while, is outside MC... Antivirus. With a locked PC most AV will start to do its background stuff after a while. If it detects "keyboard" activity while locked it may deem that to be suspicious, and so block it. A reboot fixes the issue because the AV isn't permanently blocking the service.

The other possibility is power to the device is being reduced, or as this is a USB device it is being "Suspended". In that state, it may still be able to draw power for the hardware to run, but the data communications are effectively turned off. Hence the lights still work on the receiver as they are purely a local hardware feature, but nothing is received by the PC.

[JimH]

Try changing the power settings in Windows.  As RoderickGI says, it may be related to power savings.